Container closure



Sept. 17, 1957 K. A. WROBLEWSKI 2,806,640

CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed July 8, 1955 INVENTOR. 1 16421 A. WZflfilE/MSK/ Afro/2A7: Y5

UnitedStates Patent This invention relates to a container closure and has .for its primary object to preserve the contents of a container from evaporation and hardening.

Another object is to hermetically seal the discharge opening of a container while enabling it to be readily opened for the discharge of the contents of the container.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a neck carried by the container and having circumferentially spaced parallel guides on its interior, a cap mounted on the neck to rotate about the longitudinal axis thereof, said cap having an outlet opening extending axially through the end thereof remote from the neck, a valve mounted in the guides to move longitudinally within the cap, and means carried by the cap and engaging the valve for moving it longitudinally into and out of engagement with the end of the cap remote from the neck.

Other features include a valve stem carried by the valve and extending into the neck, lugs carried by the valve stem and extending outwardly therefrom into engagement with the guides, fingers carried by the valve stem and extending outwardly therefrom between the valve and the lugs, and helical guides carried by the cap on the interior thereof for engaging the fingers and moving the valve stem longitudinally within the cap upon rotation thereof to move the valve into and out of closing relation to the outlet opening.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a container showing this improved closure connected thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substandaily on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a container is provided with a conventional discharge neck 12 and carried by the discharge neck 12 and extending outwardly therefrom are screw threads 14 by means of which the cap, to be more fully hereinafter described, is rotatably supported on the neck 12. Opening through the interior wall of the neck 12 are circumferentially spaced parallel grooves defining guides 16, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

A cap designated generally 18 comprises a conical body 20 having annular grooves 22 opening through the interior thereof for the reception of the annular ribs 14 by means of which the cap 18 is rotatably supported on the neck 12. Opening through the end of the body 20 remote from the neck 12 is an outlet opening 24 and opening into the interior of the cap or body 20 are helical grooves defining helical guides 26.

A valve 28 carries a valve stem 30 which projects longitudinally therefrom into the interior of the body 20 and carried by the valev stem adjacent the end thereof remote from the valve 28 are outwardly extending lugs 32 which ice are received in the guides 16 to hold the valve 28 and valve stem 30 against rotary movement while permitting said valve and valve stem to move longitudinally within the interior of the body 20. Carried by' the valve stem 30 between the valve 28 and the lugs 32 and extending outwardly therefrom are fingers 34, the outer ends of which are received in the helical guides 26 so that when the cap 20 is rotated on the neck 12, the valve stem 30 will be moved longitudinally within the cap 20 to advance or retract the valve 28 with relation to the outlet opening 24in the cap 18.

In use, it will be evident that upon rotating the cap 18 on the neck 12, the helical guides 26 engaging the fingers 34 will cause the valve stem 30 to move longitudinally within the body 20 and retract or advance the valve 28 into and out of closing relation to the outlet opening 24, depending on the rotation of the cap 18. In this way, while the contents of the container 10 may be readily accessible for use, it may at the same time be easily protected against evaporation and contamination by the simple rotation of the cap 18 on the neck 12.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a container having a neck having external screw threads, a cap having an upper end and a lower end, said cap having a bore having an enlarged lower portion opening through the lower end of the cap, said lower bore portion having internal screw threads removably engaged in the external screw threads of the neck, said bore having an upper portion smaller in diameter than said lower bore portion, said upper bore portion having an upper end terminating in downwardly spaced relation to the upper end of the cap, an upwardly tapered valve seat in the upper end of the cap, said seat being smaller in'diamete'r than and opening into the upper end of said upper bore portion, said container neck having an internal surface provided with at least one vertival guide groove, a valve positioned in said bore and in the container neck, comprising a vertical stern having an upper and a lower end, a flared head on the upper end of the stem for seating on said valve seat in an elevated position of the valve, a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial vanes on saidstem and extending between the valve head and the lower end of the stem, a radial lug on at least one of said vanes engaged in said vertical guide groove in the container neck, said upper bore por tion having a side wall provided with spiral grooves, said vanes having radially outward vertical edges spaced from the upper bore portion side-wall, and radial fingers on at least two of said vanes projecting into and engaging the spiral grooves.

2. In combination, a container having a neck having external screw threads, a cap having an upper end and a lower end, said cap having a bore having an enlarged lower portion opening through the lower end of the cap, said lower bore portion having internal screw threads removably engaged in the external screw threads of the neck, said bore having an upper portion smaller in diameter than said lower bore portion, said upper bore portion having an upper end terminating in downwardly spaced relation to the upper end of the cap, an upwardly tapered valve seat in the upper end of the cap, said seat being smaller in diameter than and opening into the upper end of said upper bore portion, said container neck having an internal surface provided with at least one vertical guide groove, a valve positioned in said bore and in the con- Pate nted Sept. 17, 1957 tainer-neck, comprising a vertical stem' having an upper end and a lower end, a flared head on the upper end of the stern for seating on said valve seat in an elevated position of the valve, a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial vanes onsaid stern and extending between the valve head andth lower end of the stem,va radial lngonratleastione of said vaneslengaged in said verticalgnidegroove in the container neck, said upper-bore portion havinglasside wall provided with spiral grooves, said vanes having radially outward verticaledges spacedsfrom'thenpper bore portion sidewall, and radial fingers on atvleast twoof said vanes projecting into and engaging the spiral grooves, 'said plu- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Berry Sept. 19, 1922 Poulin Feb. 25, 1936 

